My first encounter with
The Blues was hearing Louis Jordan records on the wireless in the
late 1940s. Then I heard Josh White on the BBC Home Service in the
1950s, but it wasn't until Lonnie Donegan erupted onto the wireless
during my schooldays that I really thought about trying to play this
sort of music, in Trad Jazz Clubs during the intervals. I was
encouraged in this by Gerry Lockran, who was playing the Jazz and
Folk Clubs around 1960. He suggested that I seek out records by Big
Bill Broonzey, but they were hard to come by in Hounslow's Record
Shops. Instead I bought Blind Boy Fuller on Philips LP and learned
all the songs, then T-Bone Walker appeared on cheap Marble Arch LPs
at £1.00! I played along to them a lot, much to my Mother's
annoyance. At my job in the Public Library an older member of staff
lent me an EP by Muddy Waters, and I started trying slide guitar.
EPs by Sonny Boy Williamson I and Jimmie Reed got me buying Super
Vamper harmonicas and eventually working out that cross harp worked
better than straight for Blues.

I
saw Memphis Slim, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf and many other
American Bluesmen in small halls and pubs for about 10 bob entrance.
I went to the American Folk Blues Festival at the old Hammersmith
Odeon with friends.

A
record collector in Twickenham allowed me access to his collection
of rare American Blues LPs, and I copied them onto a Grundig Tape
Recorder: Mercy Dee, Henry Thomas, Son House, Furry Lewis, and many
others.

I
saw Muddy in his later days when he had to sit down most of the
time, but he couldn't sit still for long! Also Arthur Crudup at the
Half Moon, Putney, and Lowell Fulson at The Nag's Head High Wycombe,
not to mention Cyril Davies All Stars at Twickenham Technical
College, and John Mayall and Long John Baldry on Eel Pie Island.